There’s something for everyone from honeymooners to families.
On Mexico’s Riviera Maya, just outside Playa del Carmen and around 45 minutes from Cancun airport.
128 rooms and suites are housed in two-storey villas spread around the resort’s lush vegetation and lagoons. All have spacious terraces or gardens and the suites boast private plunge pools. Décor at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya is contemporary with clean, crisp white lines, hardwood furniture and Mexican touches.
There’s a wide range of dining options with seven restaurants ranging from fine dining overlooking the lagoon at Ambar to Ceviche Cha Cha Cha down on the beach. The spa is a treat and very much the resort’s centrepiece with a range of treatments from around the world on offer, including Mexico’s very own Temazcal (we won’t spoil the surprise). There are three swimming pools, a gym and fitness studio offering yoga and Pilates, and a wide range of water sports including world-class scuba diving. For children, there’s the Mandarin Oriental Little Fans Club to look after your little rays of sunshine between four and 12 years old.
When you’re not recumbent on the lovely beach, in the spa or on the water, there’s a wide range of things to do in the area from exploring Mayan temples to golf (there are three excellent courses within a few miles of the resort).
Many avoid Mexico’s wet season from June to November but suffer the showers (there’s still plenty of sunshine) for a chance to swim with whale sharks between June and September.